"Run a diagnostic on passive, and active sensors. We want to make sure they're operating abo..." James was cut off, as Staff Admiral Krain's voice rang out across the bridge with a curt, "Admiral on deck!"

Fluidly spinning to face the main bridge doors, he frowned, and then the stark white uniform in his peripheral vision caught his eye. As James turned to face the man, he immediately recognized the blue skinned Chiss, and the man next to him. While outwardly, James radiated a sense of calm, as if he had known the inspection was coming, as he snapped a crisp salute to the Grand Admiral, inside he was slightly shaken. He hadn't expected the Grand Admiral to make a personal appearance on the Dark Confidant.

Lowering his salute, as he received an acknowledgment from Thrawn, he stepped forward, and said, "Sir, welcome aboard the Dark Confidant."_________________Commander of The Imperial Fifth Fleet -- Executor-class Star Dreadnought Hell's Forge

---
Rory says:
... if you say I have a short temper one more time, I'll strangle you with a rope I will force you to braid using your own pubic hairs.

Thrawn nodded once, burning crimson eyes looking Taggart in the eye. He detected a slight quaver in that voice, and smiled inwardly his satisfaction. The inspection would proceed exactly by his design, though Taggart would still have to sweat it out a little. Striding past the Fleet Admiral with Cartos and Rukh in tow, he walked down the main causeway of the Executor's bridge, looking over the control pits. He could sense an aura of stress enveloping each, which was to his satisfaction... stress was the true battleground for an officer.

Turning back to Taggart, the Chiss spoke in a cooly modulated tone that seemed to betray a hint of boredom, though anyone that knew him would immediately know it to be merely a facade. "Admiral Taggart, it seems your ship is in fine working order. A splendid representation of Imperial effeciency. Though, if I heard right there seems to be something wrong with your sensors?" A blue-black eyebrow arched very slightly as he folded his hands behind his back, assuming an easy rest as Cartos snapped into a similar position, and Rukh remained carefully silent, watching the bridge with a sentry's eyes.

Taggart met Thrawn's gaze, a feat in itself, and said "Yes sir. Once we exited hyperspace we noticed that the passive sensors were in need of adjustment. The techs we sent to resolve the problem just reported that they had finished, so we were running a diagnostic."

Happy to hear slight praise from the Grand Admiral, the tension in his muscles began to relax a bit, but not enough to do anything to dispel the headache he had been experiencing half the day, that had gotten worse with the man's arrival._________________Commander of The Imperial Fifth Fleet -- Executor-class Star Dreadnought Hell's Forge

---
Rory says:
... if you say I have a short temper one more time, I'll strangle you with a rope I will force you to braid using your own pubic hairs.

Admiral Caedres moved precisely and saluted smartly. He had done the mathematics in his head and had come to an eighty-nine point nine six percent that this would happen. Not exactly like this, but that the Grand Admiral himself would show. He was not surprised in the least.

His military bearing never left. His smile was not its usual frosty or bored likeness, but perfectly neutral. He wondered what would come of this... and his mind ran the variables... Too many._________________

Thrawn nodded once to Taggart, then looked over his shoulder at Caedes. Arching his brow again, he returned his gaze to the Fleet Admiral. Speaking over his shoudler while looking Taggart in the eyes, Thrawn started down the causeway once more. "Cartos, terminate the scan and order an immediate full-spectrum diagnostic. Forward the reports to Fleet Admiral Taggart's personal databox and the Chimaera II's central core. Admiral Taggart, if you will follow me..." the voice trailed off as he walked past Taggart towards the rigid form of Admiral Caedes.

Pausing before the newly promoted Admiral, Thrawn clasped his hands easily behind his back, eyes looking the man over. His eyes lingered on the other mans, head canting ever so slightly as he analyzed the beings face. Those pale grey orbs flicked imperceptibly, changing direction with the speed of thought, first at the communicatiosn console then the flight control further up, then over to Starfighter command. An inuitive mind, one obsessed with numbers... Thrawn smiled very slightly as he spoke in that modulated tone that either disarmed people, or heighened their panic. "Tell me, Admiral, what do you think the odds were that you would find yourself in the direct presence of a Grand Admiral so soon after your comissioning?"

He ran the numbers once more to make sure what he said was correct, and then nodded. His calculations did not include serving on the Dark Confidant, and if they did, it would have raised the percentage to fifty-six point zero zero nine._________________

James stayed silent, and fell into step behind the Grand Admiral, wondering why he had ordered a full spectrum diagnostic, when the simple one he had been performing would've accomplished the task. The new diagnostic would take at least forty-five minutes to complete.

However, he wasn't about to question the man's orders.

Moving over towards Caedres, it looked like the Grand Admiral had taken an interest in the man._________________Commander of The Imperial Fifth Fleet -- Executor-class Star Dreadnought Hell's Forge

---
Rory says:
... if you say I have a short temper one more time, I'll strangle you with a rope I will force you to braid using your own pubic hairs.

Thrawn nodded once, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "roughly one in five? That confident of your abilities... very well. Admiral Taggart, Admiral Caedes, the Drive Yards of Kuat beckon to us. I would like the two of you to accompany me on a routine inspection of the facilities - the Empire's largest Yards deserve the full attention of its staff, does it not?" Turning back down the causeway as Cartos came from ordering the diagnostic, Thrawn acknowledged the salute with a nod before turning to the hangar control pit.

"Order the Starhawk prepared for takeoff, Admiral Cartos will be piloting it. Have them prepare for a total of five occupants. Communications, before your system is taken offline for its diagnostic inform the KDY Boardroom of our presence and our intent to perform inspections to be conducted in approximately... 30 standard minutes." Turning away from them and to Cartos, the General-Admiral saluted before making his way to the hangar bay with a speed surprising for a man of his age.

Thrawn himself started walking towards the turbolift door, Rukh slinking into his place at the Grand Admiral's right shoulder. He knew the other two would follow even before he heard their bootsteps, making his way at a slower pace towards the Lambda shuttle.

Admiral Caedres fell in line with group after Fleet Admiral Taggart. Exactly twenty-six point one six minutes until they would make it to the Yards. The Grand Admiral's estimate was very close. He followed the group quietly wondering where he would come into this. He was just a lowly Admiral..._________________

So that's the reason that Thrawn had told Cartos to run a full spectrum diagnostic. The Grand Admiral wanted to free James up for the duration of their inspection. Although James really didn't have a problem with it, he was certain that there were other reasons he wanted James to accompany them.

Making their way to the hangar, it occurred to him that he had never really run a formal inspection on anything other than starships. He wondered how they differed from shipyards._________________Commander of The Imperial Fifth Fleet -- Executor-class Star Dreadnought Hell's Forge

---
Rory says:
... if you say I have a short temper one more time, I'll strangle you with a rope I will force you to braid using your own pubic hairs.

James was already on his way to the bridge when he received the message from the Chimaera II. As he stepped onto the bridge, he dispensed with normal protocol, and nodded to the communications officer, ordering him to put him on the ship-wide comm.

A second later, and he got the confirmation. Waiting a few seconds, he said calmly, "All hands to battle-stations. I repeat, all hands to battle-stations."

After signaling the communications officer to cut the comm, he looked over to one of the senior operations officers, and said, "Once everyone is confirmed at their stations, close all bulkheads."

Punching up the display for the diagnostics that were run earlier, he made sure everything was in order before looking up to the helmsman, and saying, "Helm, plot a course for Contruum, then relay the coordinates to the rest of the fleet." Not waiting for the man's reply he looked back over to the communications officer, and said, "Record this message: To the commanding officer of Strike Force Omega. This is a priority alert. You are to make best speed for Contruum upon confirmation of this message, and make preparations for battle."

James waited for the man to confirm that the message had been recorded before saying, "Now, encrypt that and send it to the ESD Genesis. They should be on station at Carida, so use that region's comm relay."

After a few moments, the helmsman looked up from his station and said, "Course plotted, sir."

"Take us there, Lieutenant."

James smiled as the stars elongated into lines, and the Dark Confidant slipped into hyperspace, on it's way to another battle.

The ESD Dark Confidant and escort fleet is now enroute to Contruum._________________Commander of The Imperial Fifth Fleet -- Executor-class Star Dreadnought Hell's Forge

---
Rory says:
... if you say I have a short temper one more time, I'll strangle you with a rope I will force you to braid using your own pubic hairs.

James' eyes were glued to the tactical computers as the fleet came out of hyperspace in the attack formation he had arrayed them in before entering hyperspace. It wasn't the prettiest formation, but if things got close, and dirty, it'd be the best they could have.

As soon as the planet came into view, James was on his feet, already relaying orders. Looking over to his tactical officer, he said, "Lieutenant, I want targeting solutions on the largest Capital shi...."

The sight outside the viewports stopped him in his tracks. Looking back at the tactical screen, he saw no fleet markers. No sign of any enemy ship anywhere in the system. Looking to his tactical officer, he asked, "Where could they be?"

"They may have already left, sir," replied the man, already looking like he was coming down off of the adrenaline rush that preparation for battle brought. James narrowed his eyes at the displays for a moment longer, before looking to his comm officer. "Are our comms being jammed?"

He remembered Cartos' tactic at the battle of Thyferra, where comms were jammed, and running lights were used for communication. After a few seconds, the communications officer looked up from his station and replied, "No sir."

"Then patch me through to the Chimaera II," said James. Waiting a few more seconds until the man established the link, he said, "Did we get here too late, Admiral?"_________________Commander of The Imperial Fifth Fleet -- Executor-class Star Dreadnought Hell's Forge

---
Rory says:
... if you say I have a short temper one more time, I'll strangle you with a rope I will force you to braid using your own pubic hairs.